‘DWTS’ Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert’s Dream Wedding: The 1 Surprise Element They Were Most Excited Over
Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert are married. The couple tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony, feted by family and close friends. The reception embraced Hough and Erbert’s love of the outdoors and grounded them in nature. However, the couple couldn’t wait for one element of their dream day, a surprise to those invited to the happy event.
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert couldn’t wait for late-night fun
Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough and pro-dancer Hayley Erbert spent the better part of one year planning their dream wedding since their June 2022 engagement. They reportedly wanted each element of the celebration to reflect their personalities.
In an interview with People Magazine, the couple discussed their big day, including the one surprise element they were most excited about: the food. The foodie couple couldn’t wait to indulge in the carefully prepared menu of high-end delicacies and traditional bar food.
The Houghs and their guests, including best man Mark Ballas and other DWTS pros, began the reception with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. For their entree, guests chose from steak, salmon, and vegetarian options.
Desser included a stunning tiered huckleberry lavender wedding cake and a dessert bar. However, it was the late-night snacks the couple couldn’t wait for.
“Our food is one of the things that I’m really excited about!” Erbert revealed. The duo enjoyed mini corn dogs, grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters, and seasoned fries to cap the evening.
All the details of Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert’s wedding day
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert married on Aug. 26, 2023, in Monterey County, California, on Saturday in front of 106 guests, reported People Magazine. They opted to say their vows in a redwood forest.
However, before their ceremony and reception, the couple began partying with their closest friends two days prior. They hosted a welcome party in Carmel, CA, followed by a rehearsal dinner in a garden for their family and closest friends.
Erbert wore a Marchesa gown for her walk down the aisle to Richard Walters’ song “Unconditional.” After the ceremony, the couple and their guests sat down for dinner in a 100-year-old barn. The Hough’s first dance was performed to “Fall Into Me” by Forrest Blakk.
“When we were thinking about location, we asked ourselves, ‘What’s important to us?'” Hough told People, with whom he partnered, to share some photos of the day on Instagram. “Nature was the first thing.”
“We want to be around trees and plants, and Northern California spoke out to us. We just want people to experience the place that we love, this nature, but also, it just feels incredibly romantic,” he continued.
When did Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert meet and get engaged?
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert became romantically linked in 2015 but met one year prior. Hough’s sister Julianne initially hired Erbert to dance for her and Derek’s 2014 dance tour.
Erbert was hired for Dancing with the Stars season 21 one year later. Subsequently, that was the same season Hough won his sixth and final mirrorball alongside Bindi Irwin.
Erbert made their relationship Instagram official in 2017, posting a photograph from the tour where they first met. However, it wasn’t until five years later that Hough popped the question.
He told Entertainment Tonight, “I want to marry once. I want to be with that person that I love dearly, and I want to get to know that person. But, I feel like, if anything, it’s something I don’t feel like should be rushed into doing at all.”
Derek Hough will return as a judge for season 32 of Dancing With the Stars. At the same time, he and Hayley Erbert will head out on his Symphony of Dance tour beginning in September and ending in late December 2023.
